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hvb2 | on: Mozilla to launch free built-in VPN in upcoming Firefox 149
That's not remotely the same? A default setting that can easily be changed for a feature the vendor didn't have a solution for?

To give you an example. Try to use Google Search without sending your data to Google. You cannot use the product without it, you cannot opt out. Firefox, you can use just fine with Google not being your search engine.

chii | parent | next
Why isn't it the same? The fact that it is possible to change that default means google simply pays less for it than they otherwise would if it wasn't changeable.

It's not a binary toggle - firefox is selling you as a source of revenue for themselves. They're just not making it as extreme as it is possible to be - in the hopes that you don't switch away.

You can compare same situation with safari in iOS. Except google pays a lot more, since you cannot switch away in iOS as easily, and culturally there's more reluctance compared to firefox users. This makes google pay more for iOS traffic, as those users are worth more.

glenstein | root | parent
The problem is that this is equivocating between "selling your data" and setting Google as the default search. The former implies Firefox is harvesting your telemetry and personally identifying you and selling it off to the highest bidder. The latter is setting Google search as an optional default, where any telemetry is part of customary interactions with Google search rather than anything specific that Firefox is doing.

The sense in which you are the product on Firefox is that they want to maintain a large enough user base that search licensing is valuable enough to sell to Google.

Incipient | parent
It isn't the same, but it's comparable.

Google is paying Mozilla to be the default search engine. Google is only paying Mozilla because Firefox has users, regardless if they use the default search engine or not. So, indirectly everyone is the 'product'.

I'm sure if 95% of people did swap to ddg, then google may change their mind.

Also I believe there is the possibility Google also pays Mozilla to offer competition so Chrome isn't considered a monopoly (but maybe Edge has changed that to some extent?)